I am so proud to see how far America has come, and what we are capable of. I went to visit my uncle in his nursing home last week. He’s 90 years old, and fought in WWII. After a series of strokes, he’s pretty senile, and unfortunately his brain and heart are tied to the most intense times in his life. Those of love and loss. He remembers his wife’s death quite clearly. He also remembers the war, as if it is happening right now.
I asked him if he had been following the presidential race this year. He, of course, had not, and asked who was running. “Well the Democrat’s candidate, whom everyone is talking about is Barack Obama.”
“Obama? ….What’s his race?”
Here we go. “His father was Kenyan,” I explained, waiting for my uncle to make the connection.
“Kenyan,” my uncle said. “Is he a N—–?”
My father and I shrugged at each other. Not really the time to explain PC language. “Yes he is,” my father said.
My uncle looked back at us sagely. “No one will elect a N—– to be president. ….Now I’ve known a lot of really intelligent, competent N—-s. But you’ll never see one in the White House.”
And all that I could think was….you have No Idea. Right now the absolute best contender for the presidency is an African American. Just five years ago this would have been laughable.
Look how far we’ve come.
….After watching Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at the DNC, I am so bloody excited for what we have ahead of us. Barack Obama is a brilliant politician, with attention to details and yet a heart for the bigger picture. I think he’ll bring so much good to this country right when we need it the most.
…..This morning I woke up to the news of the Republican VP choice, Governor Sarah Palin.
Republicans are emphasizing that it’s a history-making pick. Actually, the Democrats ran a woman as VP a quarter of a century ago. That’s right. Geraldine Ferraro ran for VP under Walter Mondale in 1984. Catch up, McCain.
Even if we ignore Ferraro’s 1984 bid, do they actually think that the race for presidency is a race for which team has the most interesting footnote in the history books? And if so, do they actually believe that putting a minority figure in the shadow slot can compete with with the one running for president? Or that a woman is as radical a change for America as a man from a race rich white men and women enslaved?
Finally, the most insulting factor in the republican choice is the contention that women will vote Republican just because a woman is on the ticket.
Let me make this clear: It is Anti-Feminist to vote for a woman just because she is a woman. To vote this way is to imply that women are not equal contenders for the presidency. Republicans seem to think they can win Senator Clinton’s supporters with a show of tits.
Why would a woman vote for a candidate who believes in violating a woman’s right to her own body? Why would a woman vote for a candidate who is virulently destroying the environment in a world our children will inherit? Why would a woman vote for a candidate who would rather teach superstition than science?
Sarah Palin is Pro-Life.
Sarah Palin wants to teach Creationism in Schools.
Sarah Palin stands Against Gay Marriage.
Sarah Palin supports unsustainable energy plans, including the destruction of the Alaskan wilderness for further oil drilling and pipelines. Her state pays citizens for complacency: although Alaska receives hundreds of millions of dollars infederal aid for wasteful projects, it is the one State to pay citizens, rather than taxing them – so every Alaskan receives a little oil money bribe.
Sarah Palin fought Against listing Polar Bears as an Endangered Species.
Are the progressive thinking liberals who believed in Senator Clinton suddenly going to shift to the Conservative Right at the first sign of boobies?
I would like to think that Clinton was such a political success because she is a fervent, intelligent, and determined politician. I would like to think she had support because she was actually qualified to run this country, not just because because she is on Team Estrogen.
The same holds true for Barack Obama. I am absolutely thrilled that this country has grown enough to even look at a black man long enough to assess the strength of his politics. I am excited at the prospect of breaking the colour rift and sending future generations a message that race is no longer a limitation. ….But I also support his politics. I’d vote for Barack Obama even if he was just as white as John F. Kennedy. And for a lot of the same reasons.
Speaking as a young, progressive lesbian, I love that Sarah Palin is a woman. I love that she’s all over my TV screen. Sarah Palin is hott.
I would totally fuck Sarah Palin.
That doesn’t mean I want her in the White House.
